Congress for the Republic
Encyclopedia
The Congress for the Republic , also referred to as Al Mottamar or by its French acronym CPR, is a centre-left
secular
political party in Tunisia. It was created in 2001, but legalised only after the 2011 Tunisian revolution
. It has been led since its foundation by Moncef Marzouki
.
as President, Naziha Réjiba
(Oum Ziad) as Secretary-general, Abderraouf Ayadi as Vice-President, Samir Ben Amor as Treasurer, and Mohamed Chakroun as Honorary President. The CPR declared that it was aimed to install a republic
an form of government "for the first time"in Tunisia, including freedom of speech
, freedom of association
, and the holding of "free, honest" election
s, "guaranteed by national and international observers able to genuinely check all levels of the electoral process". The CPR's declaration also called for a new constitution, strict separation of the different forms of government, human rights
guarantees, gender equality
, and a constitutional court for protecting individual and collective rights. The CPR called for "renegotiating" Tunisian commitments toward the European Union
, for Tunisia to support the rights of national self-determination, in particular for the Palestinian people.
presidency, the CPR was banned. Its leader Marzouki went into exile in Paris. However, the party continued a de facto existence, being run from France
until 2011.
during the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests, CPR President Moncef Marzouki announced that he would return to Tunisia and be a candidate in the next Tunisian general election.
He returned to Tunisia on the 18th of January 2011.
The Congress for the Republic's symbol is a red pair of glasses, alluding to Moncef Marzouki's characteristic glasses. Young supporters of the CPR are known to wear red glasses as an accessory to show their admiration for Marzouki.
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
secular
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
political party in Tunisia. It was created in 2001, but legalised only after the 2011 Tunisian revolution
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
. It has been led since its foundation by Moncef Marzouki
Moncef Marzouki
Moncef Marzouki is a Tunisian human rights activist, politician and physician.-Education and early human rights activities:Born in Grombalia , Marzouki studied medicine at the University of Strasbourg...
.
Foundation
The creation of the CPR was declared on 25 July 2001 by 31 people including the physician, medicine professor and human rights activist Moncef MarzoukiMoncef Marzouki
Moncef Marzouki is a Tunisian human rights activist, politician and physician.-Education and early human rights activities:Born in Grombalia , Marzouki studied medicine at the University of Strasbourg...
as President, Naziha Réjiba
Naziha Réjiba
Naziha Réjiba also known as Oum Ziad is a Tunisian journalist. She edits the online journal Kalima.In 2000, Réjiba co-founded Kalima, along with Sihem Bensedrine...
(Oum Ziad) as Secretary-general, Abderraouf Ayadi as Vice-President, Samir Ben Amor as Treasurer, and Mohamed Chakroun as Honorary President. The CPR declared that it was aimed to install a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an form of government "for the first time"in Tunisia, including freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, freedom of association
Freedom of association
Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....
, and the holding of "free, honest" election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s, "guaranteed by national and international observers able to genuinely check all levels of the electoral process". The CPR's declaration also called for a new constitution, strict separation of the different forms of government, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
guarantees, gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
, and a constitutional court for protecting individual and collective rights. The CPR called for "renegotiating" Tunisian commitments toward the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, for Tunisia to support the rights of national self-determination, in particular for the Palestinian people.
2001–2010
In 2002, during the Zine El Abidine Ben AliZine El Abidine Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a Tunisian political figure who was the second President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed Prime Minister in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President Habib Bourguiba, who was...
presidency, the CPR was banned. Its leader Marzouki went into exile in Paris. However, the party continued a de facto existence, being run from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
until 2011.
2011
Following the replacement of President Ben Ali by acting President Fouad MebazaaFouad Mebazaa
Fouad Mebazaa is a Tunisian politician who has been President of Tunisia since 15 January 2011. He was active in Neo Destour prior to Tunisian independence, served as Minister of Youth and Sports, Minister of Public Health, and Minister of Culture and Information, and has been President of the...
during the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests, CPR President Moncef Marzouki announced that he would return to Tunisia and be a candidate in the next Tunisian general election.
He returned to Tunisia on the 18th of January 2011.
The Congress for the Republic's symbol is a red pair of glasses, alluding to Moncef Marzouki's characteristic glasses. Young supporters of the CPR are known to wear red glasses as an accessory to show their admiration for Marzouki.
Party officials
- Moncef Marzouki, president
- Abderraouf Ayadi, vice-president
- Mohamed Abbou
- Fethi Jerbi
- Zouhour Kourda
- Samir Ben Amor
- Monia Bouali
- Khaled Ben Mbarek